Veterans Day: Trials Evaluate Meditation as PTSD Treatment

Nov 12, 2012, 4:10 PM

A recent article in the Washington Post looks at ongoing clinical trials that have researchers studying the potential effects of transcendental meditation as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As many as 10 percent of returning veterans suffer from PTSD and both internal military reports and outside reviews show an insufficient and too-slow response for veterans seeking mental health help. Military spokespeople say they know many returning veteran with mental health concerns who aren’t accessing the help at all. The results of the trials won’t be available for at least a year, but two small pilot studies show a reduction of symptoms by 50 percent in participants just two months after beginning the meditation.

>>Bonus Links:

Read an interview with Jonathan Woodson, MD, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Defense (DOD) on the DOD's emphasis on wellness and suicide prevention.